2 ]% p* ]" N& @, RChina detains three underground priests, group says 7 B2 {( b- h1 s( `- Q$ d$ _Sun Jul 29, 2007 1 L8 W [3 Y' F ) {2 a3 g3 S9 g; F1 R5 j+ cBEIJING (Reuters) - China detained three "underground" Catholic priests unwilling to serve a state-controlled body, a U.S. group has reported, as Beijing and the Vatican press their claims on religious controls./ {% k$ h- A7 M
# g. P1 [4 h3 W) r( Z2 pThe three men were caught by police in north China's Inner Mongolia region, having fled there from neighboring Hebei province, the Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement emailed late on Saturday. 0 U; D/ W. D/ Y* p3 G. y# |, m3 A1 P( W' n6 Z, M
The detentions came as the Vatican and Beijing test their boundaries of authority following a letter on China's Catholics from Pope Benedict. 9 v4 S& G+ b: A! q2 j! f! v 9 y7 A# k0 N1 _China's 12 million Catholics share the same basic religious beliefs but are politically divided between "above-ground" churches approved by the ruling Communist Party and "underground" churches that reject government ties. H7 E0 {% g0 S. R 4 `( C5 D! k' f* n! A8 g. rOn June 30, Pope Benedict issued a letter that urged reconciliation between the two sides. But he said the church must have the power to run its own affairs, including appointing bishops, possibly with government consultation. , m, f5 X# T$ _+ a- z) M& z- y) w7 M' p8 L
The Chinese government has often rejected such claims as interference in "domestic affairs" but has given no detailed public response to the letter.2 d$ \# W- Q; ~6 @3 T' k4 c2 j
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Parts of Hebei, the priests' home province, are a stronghold of "underground" churches. # R# ?$ F5 a. F0 U- s$ o2 F) _0 n" G( g
The Cardinal Kung Foundation said the three had refused to join the Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-controlled body that seeks to control church affairs.) r' O1 C& k) ^3 V1 o* W2 L
/ [* l' F9 ]$ X; u" s/ tPlain clothes police detained the priests -- Liang Aijun, Wang Zhong and Gao Jinbao -- on July 24 and they have been transferred to an unknown location, the Foundation said.7 D* ^% ~" n8 `% j0 g8 N
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"They'd been hiding for quite a while when they were hunted down," the head of the Foundation, Joseph Kung, told Reuters by phone., ], P: Q R: W3 {
# h, j: F- P9 e @4 PKung said he did not know if the men have been charged. Another underground priest, Cui Tai, had been detained in Hebei following a minor motorbike accident, he said. ' {7 n! x$ v; W6 a+ y; V% y2 P% s& b& O) T% `$ o
Sometimes "underground" clergy are released after days or weeks; sometimes they are held for much longer.. y7 N; e! T1 B
5 v& \) @# ^* I, \* S' ^& oThe Vatican is waiting to see how China handles the appointment of a new bishop for Beijing, the country's most prominent diocese. 5 C' M4 h( k% t) G + x* z( f+ ^( u( C$ R1 ORome has said a nominee proposed by the state-registered diocese, Father Li Shan, could be acceptable and has urged him to seek papal approval.5 h' K v1 B8 r2 B8 z
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But an editorial in a Beijing newspaper on Friday said China rejects the Vatican's demand that it stop appointing bishops without papal approval. # \2 {& l! F7 H' @" [$ f) L0 ^' Y2 t ; s2 k7 U* j" \9 N. y& s) qThese days, most state-approved bishops have also won Vatican blessing. The Vatican has not had diplomatic ties with Beijing since 1951 and instead recognizes Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China regards as an illegitimate breakaway.
